The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians located in Southern California will break ground on a new, boutique casino just outside Palm Springs in Twentynine Palms. The project is expected to infuse the local High-Desert economy with a welcome boost in construction, retail, and gaming employment, as well as an increase in tourism to this quaint desert enclave.

The new tribal gaming venue called Tortoise Rock Casino will be located in the city of Twentynine Palms, nestled between the majestic Joshua Tree National Park and one of the country’s largest military training facilities—the United States Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center.

Tortoise Rock Casino will offer 30,000 square feet of gaming, retail, dining, entertainment, and office space. Guests will enjoy 500 Class III Slot Machines, 5 Table Games, and 2 Poker Tables. The casino’s design will complement the surrounding desert in a variety of ways, including landscaping that is both beautiful and eco-friendly, with high-tech recycling and water-reclamation features.

“We have taken great care to design a beautiful casino property that will only add to the community as a whole,” says Darrell Mike, Chairman of the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians which also owns and operates Spotlight 29 Casino in the nearby city of Coachella. “Not only are we using local contractors during construction, but Tortoise Rock will offer long-term stability in the Twentynine Palms community, with more than 100 full-time jobs expected to be filled within the next year.”

Ground-breaking on Tortoise Rock Casino is expected in February. It will take approximately nine months to build, with as much as $1.4 Million expected to be spent on construction worker wages alone.

Tortoise Rock Casino is being built by the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians and is expected to infuse the local High-Desert economy with a welcome boost in construction, retail, and gaming employment, as well as an increase in tourism. It is nestled between the majestic Joshua Tree National Park and one of the country’s largest military training facilities—the United States Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center.